Robert Foley Vineyards Charbono

Bob Foley explains that Inglenook once had Charbono planted thanks to André Tchelistcheff, whom Georges de Latour brought to Napa Valley to make wine. Tchelistcheff, familiar with two blocks of Charbono in Calistoga, advised keeping the variety to blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, which would help moderate the alcohol levels. Charbono rarely accumulates sugar beyond 22–23° Brix, resulting in naturally low alcohol potential. Foley, who knew Tchelistcheff for about a decade, credits him with recognising Charbono’s value and helping prevent its removal from the valley. Today, Foley sources his Charbono from Shypoke Vineyard in Calistoga, farmed by Gary Heitz at the base of Sterling. He admits that the first thing he does is eat the grapes, describing them as delicious, before fermenting them in open-top vessels and ageing the wine for 18 months in neutral French oak prior to bottling. The finished wine offers a bright, savoury nose of cassis and black cherry, layered with tobacco, black pepper, and loamy earth and pressed wildflowers. Medium-bodied, it features silken tannins, a firm spine of juicy blood-orange acidity, and hints of brown baking spices with ironstone minerality on the long finish. With its modest alcohol and vibrant acidity, this Charbono is a particularly versatile match for Asian cuisine.